NCAA SWEET 16 GAME OF THE YEAR
- Handicapper
- Wayne Root
- League
- NCAAB
- Competition
- Arkansas vs Connecticut
- Time
- 03/23/2023 07:15 PM
- Bet Type
- Point Spread
- Pick
-
Arkansas +4 (-110)
(DraftKings)
- Outcome
- Loss
- Analysis
- Pinnacle on Arkansas
Even though Davonte Davis stole the show in the second round, he typically isn’t the man for Arkansas. Ricky Council is the player to watch for Arkansas. He was horrendous from the field against Kansas but has been the star this season, averaging 16 points per game. The guard is a do-all player that is physical on the glass. The best part about Council’s game is his ability to follow his shot. He is relentless after a shooting attempt, which leads to more rebounding chances for his team. The other contributor to note is Nick Smith Jr., a 6’5” freshman guard. Smith hasn’t been overly efficient this year but has made some big shots on the season. He hasn’t been fantastic through the first two rounds, which is to be expected as a freshman but should be more comfortable after two games. UConn really has most of their eggs in one basket. UConn has a lot of tremendous role players, but the team centers around Adama Sanogo. Sanogo is a 6’9” forward that can do everything on the floor. After a disappointing Big East Tournament appearance, the Huskies received an at-large bid to be a four-seed. The Razorbacks have now earned three straight Sweet 16 trips in the tournament and, after Saturday, have now gone 2-1 against #1 seeds in the last three tournaments. Arkansas is averaging 72.5 points per game in the tournament thus far. The Razorbacks are shooting 43% from the field and 33% from long range thus far in two tournament games. On the defensive end, the Razorbacks are holding teams to 66 points per game and just 40% from the field. The Razorbacks have been stellar on the perimeter with teams shooting just over 23% from long range. On the glass, Arkansas has a +16 rebounding margin in the tournament. The team has a -12 turnover margin in the two games. This is the first time in the Dan Hurley era that UConn will be going to the Sweet 16 after being bounced in the first round in the previous two seasons. The Huskies are receiving 70 percent of the bets and 70 percent of the handle on the point spread.
